This invention relates to a landing net which temporarily disables a fish or other captured animal. In particular, the landing net contains contacting strips capable of emitting a harmless disabling shock to the fish or animal with which it comes in contact.
Landing nets have traditionally been comprised of a woven collecting net, a loop-like frame from which the collecting net hangs, and a handle. This type of net has long been used by fisherman for bringing fish, once hooked and reeled in, into a boat or onto shore. Once captured, the fish typically thrashes about while the fisherman struggles to remove the hook. The fish, as well as the fisherman, often suffers damage during such confrontations. One solution for easier removal of the hook has been to kill the fish in the landing net.
More recently, however, a growing trend has been towards releasing fish back into their natural habitat after they are caught. This modern catch and release method is particularly popular with professional tournament and sport fisherman, and is to be encouraged from an ecological standpoint.
One problem incurred in the catch and release method, however, is that of damage caused to both the fish and the fisherman during removal of the hook from the fish. For example, unnecessary handling can cause saliva loss to the fish, which is known to result in greater susceptability of the fish to aquatic parasites after the fish is released back to its habitat. Also, any damage caused by the hook entering the fish's mouth is compounded while the hook is removed from the thrashing fish. On the other hand, sharp scales and teeth of the fish have been known to cause injury to the fisherman.
There exists a need, therefore, for a landing net which disables the fish so that the hook can be easily removed with minimal damage to both the fish and the fisherman.